Court 'Concerned' Over FCC Regulations

The U.S. court of appeals overseeing Verizon's objections to the Federal Communications Commission's net neutrality regulations said it has "deep concerns" about the rules. The three-judge panel is most worried about a provision in the rules that prevents broadband providers from charging content companies for faster access to consumers. The FCC wants all data transiting wired and wireless broadband networks to be treated equally, with no preference given to certain sorts of traffic. The appeals court said this amounts to labeling internet providers "common carriers," which the FCC does not have the authority to do. According to The Wall Street Journal, it is clear that the panel of judges will likely strike down at least some, if not all, of the provisions in the FCC's net neutrality rules. For example, broadband companies will not be allowed to block traffic from/to web sites that will not pay to have their content transmitted. The judges have not issued a final ruling on the matter, however. Verizon sued the FCC over the regulations, challenging the FCC's authority to set internet policy.